Starfire beats tech slump

Network, Web-site specialists survive in slow economy

FORT COLLINS — Lew Gaiter traveled around the world as a computer-engineering consultant, but he never expected the e-mail from Singapore. The e-mail complimented StarFire Enterprises Inc., of which Gaiter is president, on its Web site and wanted to know how much it would cost to design something similar.

Gaiter kicked the idea over to one of his engineers, Dave Arns, who had been designing Web sites on the side for years. The way Gaiter tells it, Arns asked if Gaiter wanted to get into a new business. After mulling it over, the answer was…